Where Does the Fat That Does Not Survive After a Fat Grafting Procedure Go?

If fat is grafted from my abdomen to my buttocks and only 60% survives, does the other 40% go back to my abdomen? Does it distribute to several places on my body? Does it just disappear? Does it go somewhere that could be harmful to me?

Doctor Answers 4

Survival of Fat after a Fat injection procedure

September 16th, 2013

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Fat grafting is plastic surgery that transfers fat from one area of the body (abdomen, hips, legs) to another (face, breast, buttocks). Unfortunately, not all the fat survives after being re-injected. The fat that does not live ends up being broken down by the body.

Fate of Non-Viable Fat after injection

September 14th, 2013

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Fat that does not survive the injection process releases its free fatty acid content which is picked up and transported the liver where it is broken down and excreted. Some residual non-viable fat may also serve as a stimulus for scar formation. In short, it does not return from whence it came.

Where Does the Fat That Does Not Survive After a Fat Grafting Procedure Go?

September 13th, 2013

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During a fat grafting procedure some cells will simply die and not be viable. The body will then break down the cells and fat into metabolite products. The non viable cells can also turn into scar tissue will act as a volume enhancer as well.

Fat Transfer Pictures

Fat is Alive

September 13th, 2013

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Fat, also known as adipose tissue, is stored in fat cells, adipocytes. These cells are viable, limited in number and are sensitive to physical stressors, such as heat. When fat is transferred from one place to the other, some of the cells do not make it or go into "shock". When those cells die, the body degrades them into inert materials or disposed of.

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